


An Impossible Future

by arthurmorgan-s-heart (Silverblind)



Category: Red Dead Redemption
Genre: F/M, Family, Female Reader, Fluff, Post-Game
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-12
Updated: 2019-01-12
Packaged: 2019-10-08 21:08:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,046
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17393744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Silverblind/pseuds/arthurmorgan-s-heart
Summary: Neither you nor Arthur thought you'd make it this far - and yet, here you are.





	An Impossible Future

**Author's Note:**

> This is a request fill from my tumblr blog. Uploaded here for convenience - find me on tumblr - arthurmorgan-s-heart
> 
> Original request text: "Could you do something of the life of Arthur and the reader after the events of the game, like living happily together and stuff like we all know they are."

The house is quiet when you wake up that morning, which immediately makes you suspicious - the house is  _ never _ quiet.

Your bed is empty, Arthur already gone, but you don’t hear him anywhere in the small house - it’s still and silent, and it  _ shouldn’t  _ be.

You get up quickly, throwing on a shirt and a pair of pants before venturing from your bedroom. Every room is empty, and though there is a fire burning in the hearth, there’s no trace of anyone.

You don’t hear it until you’ve made your way to the kitchen - laughter, coming from outside, and the rapid rhythm of hooves on grass. You smile to yourself as you look out the window to see Arthur leading his horse in a quick trot in the field separating the house from the barn, your daughter sat in front of him, both of them smiling and laughing in the early morning sun.

“Faster, Papa! Go faster!” she shouts as you open the kitchen’s side door and step outside, though neither of them notice you. 

“You sure you ready for that, Hope?” Arthur answers playfully - you can perfectly picture the smirk he always has when he’s teasing her. “What with you being so little and all - “

“Papa!” Hope huffs reproachfully, making him laugh.

“Alright, alright,” Arthur replies before suddenly pushing his horse into a gallop, Hope squealing in surprise and delight as her small hands bunch into the horse’s mane.

You watch them with a smile, wrapping your arms around yourself to ward off the cold bite of the morning air as you think back on how, just a few years ago, this life had seemed impossible. Those bitter days of strife and doubt, when Arthur believed himself unworthy of all kindness, or happiness, or love - you remember them well, and sometimes can hardly believe that you’d really made it through it all. God knows the journey had been long, and the road hard, but you’re here, together - and you’d  _ made  _ it.

They ride until they’re nothing but shadows in the distance before they turn around to come back towards the house, bathed in gold as the sun steadily climbs over the horizon.

“Mama!” Hope calls out at the sight of you, and you wave as Arthur slows his horse to a trot, then a walk, before stopping next to you. Hope seems just about ready to jump off the horse on her own, but you sweep her up into your arms before she can manage to, setting her on your hip as you smooth her wind-tousled hair away from her face and press a kiss to her forehead.

“Good morning,” you whisper against her ear, and she giggles at the tickle of your breath as you look up at Arthur. “And good morning to you, too.”

“Hey, darlin’,” he answers, the warmth of his smile almost enough to make you forget about the chill in the air. You look back to Hope when you feel her tug at the collar of your shirt, meeting her bright gaze.

“Papa said I can have my own horse!” she says, beaming up at you excitedly. Your eyes flick back to Arthur as you arch an eyebrow. He has the grace to look sheepish, at least.

“Did he now?” you say, waiting for an explanation. Hope is still staring up at you expectantly.

“ _ Pony _ ,” he corrects her, shooting her a look that doesn’t seem to cow her in the slightest. “And I said  _ soon _ .”

“Oh, well,” you say, letting out an exaggerated sigh as you look up to the sky. “I don’t know… She’s only five…”

“I’m old enough!” Hope’s indignant reply has you looking back down at her, a soft smile tugging at your lips at the sight of her determined frown.

“I know, I know. We’ll see,” you answer, kissing her cheek before setting her down. “Now go wash up.”

She seems about to protest, but a stern look from you is enough to send her running inside. You wait for the door to slam shut behind her before you turn back to face Arthur. He’s still sitting on his horse, both hands resting on the pommel as he looks at you with an amused glint in his eyes.

“You gonna get down from there or what?” you ask, and he chuckles quietly before climbing down from the saddle, stepping closer and placing his hands on your hips as he pulls you close. You press up against him as you put your hands on his shoulders, nudging his hat up and away from his face before kissing him lightly.

“You’re up early,” you whisper against his lips. You feel him smile.

“Wanted to let you sleep in,” he answers, bringing one hand up to thread through your hair as he kisses you again, just as gently. “Guessin’ it didn’t work.”

You laugh softly as you step away, though he seems almost reluctant to let you go, catching your hand before you can move completely out of his reach.

“Good thing I got up before you promised her even more ridiculous things,” you say teasingly as you start back towards the house, his hand still in yours, pulling him along. “Now come on; I’ll make us some coffee.”

“Lemme just put her away first,” he answers, gesturing to his horse grazing nearby. His grip on your hand tightens as he pulls you back against him, and you allow him one last kiss before you push him away with a laugh.

“No time for that now, Arthur,” you say, and you do your best to sound reproachful, though you’re sure your smile gives you away. “We got someone waitin’ for us.”

A tender smile blooms on his lips as he reaches up to right his hat, and he looks at you for a moment, something akin to wonder in his eyes, as if he was seeing you for the very first time.

“Yeah,” he says quietly, and you know he’s thinking about it too - all those years he had spent believing he would never have what he has now. And though he had given up everything he had ever known to make that impossible future a reality, you know he’d do it all again in a heartbeat. “We do.”


End file.
